High Tension
User Score
5.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 54
  3. Negative: 18 out of 54

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  1. RyanS.
    Jun 10, 2005
    10
    Absolutely disturbing and at moments breath taking.
  2. Court
    Jun 10, 2005
    10
    This was a great movie, unlike all of the plotless money-earners that directors are peddling out. Had an awesome twist ending.
  3. Adam
    Jun 10, 2005
    10
    Before my rating, let it be known that this movie deserves every negative rating it has received. Why? If a film such as this reaches a large audience, it will be the subject of much animosity once the obvious copycat mass murders occur in real life. Ok. So I gave it a 10. That's simply because I've watched some f...ed up movies, but High Tension trumps them all. The first scene includes a man receiving head from.... a severed head? Yeah. Oh, but don't worry. I didn't ruin anything for you. After spending the first 20 minutes complaining how poor the dubbed voices are, your next hour or so is spent in ball-throbbing suspense. Enjoy.… Collapse
  4. LaurieS
    Jun 14, 2005
    10
    Highest... Tension... And... Gore... EVER!
  5. JohnF.
    Nov 16, 2005
    9
    I have no idea who "Chad S" is, nor do I have any idea what the "Metacritic Advance Scout Team" entails. But I must ask... why are poorly written, xenophobic rants given a stamp of approval on this site? This cretin's profoundly idiotic review (which housed some of the worst grammar in the history of the English language) not only misunderstood the film in question, but also managed to throw in some indescribably vulgar cultural elitism that couldn't possibly have been more wide of the mark. I like this site. But don't start bigging up meatheaded mouth breathers, lest your fanbase head for the tomato hills.... ANYWAY, this film is superb. The infamous plot twist IS a massive misjudgement, but when a director has spent the past eighty minutes thrilling you to the bone, forgiveness is all that it deserves. A cult classic in the making.… Expand
  6. Robusualsuspect
    Mar 12, 2011
    10
    Un film angoissant et bien dans l'esprit du cinéma d'horreur francais, avec une cecile de france convanquante dans son role pourtant compliqué a jouer.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
42 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 30
  3. Negative: 7 out of 30
  1. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The film revels in blood and gore, but this is not just a run-of-the-mill splatter film. There's a lot of intelligence in both the script and in Alexandre Aja's direction.
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  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Robert K. Elder
    75
    Like all horror films, High Tension builds to a final, sobering flash of chaos that settles all scores. Some viewers will hate Aja's movie for its end-game reveal; others will love it for the very same reason.
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  3. Variety
    Reviewed by: Lisa Nesselson
    60
    Deftly juggles gore and suspense, and punchline holds an intellectual frisson or two for fans of gender-role speculation, but basically this is one more horror pic on the distinguished road already trodden by "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," "Maniac" and the like.
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